FIR against wrestler Sushil Kumar, supporters for brawl

New Delhi: Olympic-medallist Sushil Kumar was Saturday booked by the Delhi Police in connection with his supporters clashing with those of rival wrestler Parveen Rana at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here, police said.

Kumar and his supporters have booked under IPC section 341 (wrongful restraint) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), the latter attracting an imprisonment of up to one year or a monetary fine of Rs 1,000 or both, police officials said.

The supporters of the two wrestlers yesterday engaged in an ugly clash and came to blows during the selection trial for the Gold Coast Games, to be held in April next year.

Kumar had won all his bouts but things took an ugly turn when Rana, after losing to the former in the semifinal clash, claimed that the decorated wrestler’s supporters beat him and his elder brother “for daring to take the ring” against him.

This triggered a clash between the followers of the two which was even captured on cameras, leading to the police today registering a case against Kumar and his supporters, senior police officials said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Mandeep Singh Randhawa confirmed that an FIR has been lodged but the reason behind the brawl was being probed.